Boot and ski carrier



July 5, 1966 M. E. OLSON 3,259,234

BOOT AND SKI CARRIER Filed May 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MARVINE.OI SON A 7'7'ORNEYS J y 1966 M. E. OLSON 3,259,284

BOOT AND SKI CARRIER Filed May 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MARVIN E. OLSONA T TORNEIS United States Patent 3,259,284 BOOT AND SKI CARRIER MarvinE. Olson, 6100 Beach Road, Birmingham, Mich. Filed May 12, 1964, Ser.No. 366,783 7 Claims. (Cl. 224-) The subject matter of this invention is.a device which serves as a boot tree or straightener for a pair of skiboots and which also serves as a carrier for a pair of boots, a pair ofskis and other skiing equipment.

While boot straightening and carrying devices have been available forsome time, they all must be carried with a hand and thus increase thedifficulty of handling all of ones ski equipment to and firom a skiingarea. The overall object of the present invention is to provide a bootstraightening and carrying device which can be worn over a shoulder andwhich incorporates a cradle for supporting and positioning a pair ofski-s so that a user can easily and securely manage both skis, boots andother equipment with one hand.

A boot and ski carrier of the invention comprises a pair of sole plateswith suitable means on each sole plate for detachably securing a skiboot thereon, a flexible strap-like member connecting the sole plates inbacktoaback relation and adapted .to be placed over the shoulder of auser so that the sole plates hang one to the front and one to the back,and a handle secured :to the flexible member intermediate the endsthereof, the handle including a portion adapted to straddle and cradle aski.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of the presently preferred representativeembodiment thereof dis-closed in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation illustrating the device positioned on theshoulder of a user carrying ski boots and a pair of skis;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the lines 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIGURE '3 is a side elevation of the device resting on a supportingsurface and illustrating adaptability to boots of different size;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one side of the device; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken as indicated :by the line55 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the device consists of a pair of sole platesand 12, a flexible strap-like member 14 connecting the sole platestogether in backto-back relation, and a handle 16 secured to the strap14 intermediate the ends thereof.

Each sole plate 10 and 12 is an extruded member as shown in 'FIG. 5 andis formed with a flat inner or back face 17, .an outer or front tacehaving a pair of side flanges 18 and 19 and a Taslot 20 locatedcentrally between the side flanges and extending the length of the soleplate. A boot toe clamp 22 is mounted in the T-slot 20 of each soleplate and consists of a base member 23 slidable in the slot 20, anoutwardly extending threaded post 24, secured to the base member, a toepad 25 slidable on the post 24, a spring 26 urging the toe padoutwardly, and a nut 27 threaded on the post 24 with a cam shaped lever28 pivotally secured thereto for positioning the toe pad 25 in clampingengagement with the toe end of a boot 30 as shown in FIG. 3.

A bracket 32 is secured to the heel end 33 of each of the sole plates 10and 12. Each bracket 32 includes a pair of tabs 34 which extend betweenfacing surfaces 35 and 36 of the sole plate as shown in FIG. 5 and arerigidly secured to the sole plate by rivets 38. The main portion 40 ofeach bracket 32 extends at right angles to the tabs 34 and to the outerface of the sole plate and is provided with a central slot42 foradjustably mounting a heel clamp 44. The heel clamp includes a tongue 45which projects into the slot 42 to prevent the clamp rotating around acarriage bolt and wing nut 46 employed to secure the heel clamp 44 tothe bracket 32 in a desired position along the slot 42. Tabs or feet 47at the sides and outer end of the bracket portion 40 form a tripod basefor supporting each sole plate in an upright position.

A bail 48 is secured to the toe end 49 of each of the sole plates 10 and12 for connecting the flexible strap 14 thereto, and the strap ispreferably equipped with a snap fastener 50 near the ends thereof toprovide means for detachably securing the pair of sole plates togetherasshown in FIG. 3.

The handle 16 includes a U-shaped bracket 52 connected to the strap 14by rivets '53 and a U-shaped handle portion 54 with the legs 56 of the Ushaped bracket 52 being pivotally secured to the legs 58 of the U-shapedhandle portion by connectors 59. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handleportion 54 can be swung from the carrying position of FIG. 3 and 4 to acradling position and is dimensioned so that the legs 58 will straddleone ski 60 preferably overlap the second ski 61 of a pair of skis.Preferably the bracket 52 is formed with an offset portion or shoulderwhich provides .a hook for hanging other equipment such as the loopstraps 57 of ski poles indicated in FIG. 2.

In use as a boot tree or straightener, the heel clamp 44 is adjusted toproper spacing from the outer face of a sole plate by the nut and bolt46 and is locked in position so that the heel of a boot can be slidlengthwise into engagement with the clamp 44. The toe pad 25 is alsoadjusted to proper spacing from the outer face of its sole plate 10 or12 by turning the lever 28 and nut 27 on the threaded post 24. After theheel of a boot has been engaged with the heel clamp 44, the toe clamp 22is slid along the T-slot 20 to proper position and engaged with the boottoe. The spring 26 of the toe clamp preferably engages a washer '64(FIGS. 3 and 4) and creates enough friction with the outer face of thesole plate so that the toe clamp will stay in any position to which itis moved along the slot 20. This feature together with the snap fastener50 for detachably connecting the sole plates 10 and 12 together, permitsthe device to be rested on a support in an upright position as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 for storage and to facilitate engagement of a boot by theheel and the toe clamps. The two sole plates 10 and 12 with their tripodbase supports mutually stabilize each other and the toe clamps willremain in an upper position while the heel of a boot is being placedunder the heel clamp 44.

The device may be carried with a hand, using the bandle in the carryingposition shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or over a shoulder as shown in FIG. 1.If skis have to be handled at the same time, the handle portion 54 isswung to the cradling position shown in FIG. 2 and a pair of skis placedin it as shown, or on edge. The pivotal connection of handle portion 54to the handle bracket 52 permits the portion 54 to rock with a cradlingaction to movements of a users arm and body when skis are being carried.

While preferred embodiments have been described above in detail, it willbe understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A boot and ski carrier comprising a pair of sole plates, means oneach sole plate for detachably securing a ski boot thereon, a flexiblemember connecting the sole plates in back-to-back relation and adaptedto 'be placed over the shoulder of a user, and a handle secured to theflexible member intermediate the ends thereof, the handle including aportion adapted to straddle and cradle a ski.

2. A boot and ski carrier comprising a pair of separate sole plates,means on each plate for detachably securing a ski boot thereon, aflexible member connecting the sole plates in back-to-back relation andadapted to be placed over the shoulder of a user, and ski carrying meanssecured to the flexible member intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A boot and ski carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein said skicarrying means includes an outwardly facing U-shaped portion dimensionedto straddle a ski.

4. A boot and ski carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein said skicarrying means comprises an outwardly facing U-shaped bracket, aU-shaped handle portion, and means pivotally connecting the legs of saidU-shaped bracket and handle portion together whereby the handle portionis movable between a carrying position and a cradling position, saidhandle portion being adapted to straddle a ski when in the said cradlingposition thereof.

5. A boot and ski carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein said skicarrying means is provided with hook means for hanging an articlethereon.

6. A ski boot carrier comprising a pair of separate sole plates, eachhaving a front and a back face, means on the front face of each soleplate for detachably mounting a ski boot thereon with the boot soleportion in facing relation with the front face of the plate and the bootupper portion extending outwardly thereof, a flexible memberinterconnecting the sole plates at one end thereof and adapted to beplaced over the shoulder of a user, handle means secured to the flexiblemember intermediate the ends thereof, means for detachably securing thesole plates together in back-to-back relation, and support means at theother end of each sole plate extending outwardly of the front facethereof a distance less than that to which the upper portion of a skiboot extends for supporting the ski boot carrier on a surface in anupright position when the sole plates are secured together inbackto-back relation.

7. A ski boot carrier as claimed in claim 6 wherein said handle meansincludes a portion adapted to position a ski on the shoulder of a user.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,672,263 3/1954Alber 224-5.17 2,883,688 4/1959 Barreca 12120.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 882,593 6/1943 France.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

HUGO. O. SCHULZ, Examiner.

J. E. OLDS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A BOOT AND SKI CARRIER COMPRISING A PAIR OF SOLE PLATES, MEANS ONEACH SOLE PLATE FOR DETACHABLY SECUREING A SKI BOOT THEREON, A FLEXIBLEMEMBER CONNECTING THE SOLE PLATES IN BACK-TO-BACK RELATION AND ADAPTEDTO BE PLACES OVER THE SHOULDER OF A USER, AND A HANDLE SECURED TO THEFLEXIBLE MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, THE HANDLE INCLUDING APORTION ADAPTED TO STRADDLE AND CRADLE A SKI.